Paintbrush container having cleaning fluid therein



y 1953 A. w. YENNE 1 2,646,808

PAINTBRUSH CONTAINER HAVING CLEANING FLUID THEREIN v Filed May 17, 19495 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ALLEN w. YEN NE.

y 8, 1953 A. W.-YENNE 2,646,808 I 'PAINTBRUSH CONTAINER HAVING CLEANINGFLUID THEREIN Filed May 17, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALLEN w. YEN N E.

July 28, 1953 A. w. YENNE 2,646,803

} PAINTBRUSH CONTAINER HAVING CLEANING FLUID THEREIN Filed May 17, 19495 Sheet Sheet 3 INVENTOR. ALLEN WYENNE.

Patented July 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l A V 2,646,808 1 rAr'rBRUsH' CONTAINER HAVING j CLEANING FLUID THEREIN, 4 I L Allen'Yenne,Wooster, Ohio I Application May 17, 1949, Serial No. 93,723

. This invention relates to containers for cleaning and storin [usedpaint brushes and is-directed. more specifically toimprovements in thestructure of the apparatus disclosed in my prior patent, No. 2,043,643,dated June 3, 1936."

One of the objects ofthe invention'is to pro- -3 Claims. (01. 134-92)vide a paint brush-container embodying a plu- I rality of similar tanksdesignedto accommodate the suspension of a number of used brushes in afiuidic paint solvent therein and further de-'' signed. to facilitatetheready removal of the tanks from the container'so that the paint-ladenbrushes of each color and the tank within which they are immersed may becarried to the location in which they are to:be used.

Another object of-the invention is to provide a brush-holding clip whichis constructed for readyattachment to the tank orremoval therefrom andadjustments compensatory of brushes of different sizeor shape. I

I Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a brush-cleaning unitwhich cOmprises'a tank I I for a fluidic paint solvent, awringerembodying a fixed roller disposed to facilitate ready access to thetank;and aself-contained'-rol1er and crank assembly which is designed forremoval from the tank with ease and dispatch.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cover for thecontaineror tank carrier which is constructed with afluid-tightsealing elementtherein. I Y 1 1 Another object ofv the invention is'to provide astructure which will accommodate the ready removal of the tanks from thecontainer for the purpose of cleaning and to further thecleaningoperation' through the provision of expendable sedimentc'upsinthe tanks. I j 1.

Another objector the invention is toprovide a screen in the lowerportion of each tank to maintain the-separation ofthefiuid and sedimenttherein and'also dampen the splashing'action of the fluid. I

Further objectsof the invention reside in the provision of, .a portablebrush-carrying and -cleaning device whichis light weight, sturdy ofstructure," economic ofmanufacture, and adapted ;to facilitate theagroupment of brushes in individualcontainers having theflrequisite typeand volume of solvent,j oil, or othermaterial impermeable to air. 1

Other objects and advantages more or, less an- 'cillary to theforegoing, and the m annerin which all the-, various objects arerealized, will'appear i t eg lowine de cr p i n whi c d r d inconnectionwith the accompanying drawings,

se s fort ep e erredem dim rime ven on- Referring to the drawings: I

Fig. 1 is a View in perspective of the improved carrying case orcontainer;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the case shown in Fig. 1 with the lidillustrated in an elevated position; I

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the improved container;

Fig. 4 is a View in perspective of one of the solvent tanks; I

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the container illustrating the brush-cleaningtank and the manner of operation of the wringer;

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the brushcleaning tank;

Fig. 7 is a perspective of one of the wringer rollers and the operatinglever therefor;

Fig. 8 is a perspective of one of the brushsupporting clips;

Fig. 9 is a perspective of a fragmentary portion of the brush-cleaningtank;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section through one of the tanks illustrating theposition of the sediment Fig. 11 is a view in perspective of the screenfor separating the sediment from the fiuidic material in the tank;

gig. 12 is a View in perspective of the cup; an

Fig. 13 is a view in perspective of a brush holder of a modified form.

I Referring first to Fig. 1, the container comprises a prismoidal sheetmetal box HJ having a hinged lid H thereon which is formed with a pocketin the central portion thereof for the reception of a folding handle I3.The lid is provided with a deformable sealing strip, and a hasp or trunklock M to facilitate the retention thereof. I

I Within the box or container l0 there is a plurality of removabletanks, 15 disposed for slidmg engagement withthe side walls, of thecontainer and slightly separated from each other. The container isgreater in height than the tanks in order to provide clearance for thehandles of thelarger brushes stored therein and the upper ends of thetanks "are preferably formed :with a'bead l6 or'folded end portion toassure rigidity.

-' Thebrushes are suspended in the tanks by cl ps each comprising'asheet metal strap fold- 'ed'upon itself to form a spring clamp 81adapted for frictional engagement with the topofthe tank. One of thearms of the clamp ispierced anddie-struck to form a pintle [8"preferably of arcuate transverse section and bent slightly 'up- .wardfrom the line of the fold in the clamp '(Fig. 8)." The brush handles aredrilled for engagement with the pintles 18, the hole or holes l9 thereinbeing disposed to effect the suspension of the brush with the bristlesimmersed in the turpentine, oil, or other fluid used to preserve theductility of the fibers. As will be seen in Fig. 3, the clips may bemounted on both side walls of the tank, the number and spacing thereofdepending upon the width of the brushes to be suspended in each of therespective tanks.

One of the tanks, such as the chamber 20, may be equipped with a wringerassembly and used as a brush-cleaning unit. As illustrated in Fig. 3,the chamber 20, which may be slightly Wider than the other tanks, isprovided with a roller Z l in the upper end thereof which is supportedon cross bars 22 disposed in spaced relation with the respective endWalls of the tank. The bars 22 are formed with slots 23 in the upperedge thereof which terminate in a circular opening 24 constitutingjournal bearings for a fulcrum rod 25 mounted in the wringersub-assembly shown in'Fig. '7. The sub-assembly includes a pair ofplates or crank arms 28, a roller 21 journaled therein, the fulcrum rod25, which is disposed in spaced relation with the roller, and a lever28, which welded or otherwise anixed to the plates and spaced from thefulcrum 25 and roller 27. In operation the distended portions of thefulcrum rod or pintles 29 are dropped into the slots 23 and the wringersub-assembly, then moved downward and laterally until the pintles aresealed in the openings 24. The lever 28 is next rocked inwardly untilthe center-to-center distance between the rollers 2| and 21 admits theentry of the brush being cleaned. The lever is next rocked in theopposite direction until the roller 21 engages the brush fibers; then,while continuing such movement under the desired application ofpressure, withdrawing the brush (Fig. The contemplated practice in thisoperation is to rinse the brush in an extraneous vessel of solvent andremove the excess fluid with the wringer catching the residue in thetank. If desired, however, the chamber 20 may be partially filled withthe solvent and the cleaning operation carried out by repeated rinsingand wringing operations in the same tank.

The tanks 15 and the chamber 23 may be provided with cups 30 constructedfor snug engage- 'ment with the side walls of the lower portion of thetanks and designed for the retention of the solid matter or sedimentseparated from the fluid. The cups are preferably made from paper or asimilar inexpensive material that may be discarded when the tanks arecleaned. The cups are covered with wire mesh lids 3| formed fortelescopic engagement with the paper cup and provided for the dualpurpose of maintaining the separation of the sediment from the fluid inthe tank and of dampening the movement of the fluid when the containeris in transit.

The clip or holder illustrated in Fig. 13 is designed for the support ofbrushes of the type that are formed with handles that are toosmall todrill, for example, an artists brush; however, the holder may be usedfor other brushes where it is impractical or undesirable to pierce thehandle.

In this embodiment the clip 1! is substantially the same as thatheretofore described save that the inner arm thereof is die-struck andformed with a pair of laterally disposed flanges 32 having inturned lips33 in their outer ends. The brush retainer comprises a substantiallyrectangular block 34 of sponge'rubber or a similar material which issplit throughout the major portion of the medial axis 35 thereof andalso formed with a short transverse kerf 36 normal to the axis 35 and inor adjacent the center of the block. The outer end of the block isformed with a notch 31 terminating in the axial slot 35 to accommodatethe ready entry of the brush handle as it is forced between theyieldable fur-cations of the block. The block is supported by theflanges 32 which are bent inwardly during assembly with lips 33 imbeddedin the soft yieldable material of the block.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailedcharacter, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, itis to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to berestrictive 0r confining, and that various rearrangements of parts andmodifications of detail may be resorted to without departing from thescope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

Iclaim:

1. A container for used paint brushes comprising a carrying case, ahinged lid thereon, means comprising a deformable strip mounted on thelid for sealing the joint between the lid and the body of the carryingcase, a plurality of removable open-ended tanks in said case adapted tocontain a fluid, a wringer for squeezing fluid from the bristles in abrush incorporated in one of said tanks and removable clips eachcomprising a U-shaped plate engaged with the upper edges of said tanksfor the suspension of brushes in the fluid.

2. A container for used paint brushes comprising a portable box,aplurality of removable tanks therein for the reception of a fluid, awringerin one of said tanks, said wringer comprising a roller journaledin the upper portion of the tank, a pair of crank arms, a second rollerjournaled in one end thereof, a lever aflixed to'the opposed endthereof, trunnions intermediate said second rollerand saidlever andjournal bearings in said tank formed to accommodate the entry andremoval of said trunnions.

3. A container for used paint brushes comprising a portable box, aplurality of removable tanks therein for the reception of a fluid, awringer in' one of said tanks, said wringer comprising cross bars havingslots thereon disposed in spaced relation with the end walls of saidtank, a roller journaled between said'cross bars, crank arms adjacentsaid bars, a roller journaled between said arms, a lever aflixed to theopposed ends of said arms and trunnions intermediate said lever and thelast-named roller for removable engage-' ment with the slots in saidcross bars.

